On the Outside Looking in
by xRainyx
Summary: Percy and Annabeth fell in love- but where was Rachel? She was there, believe me. But what was she doing? What was she feeling? Percabeth for the obsessed, but mostly Perachel. R&R!
1. Newlyweds

**A/N- Percy and Annabeth grow up and fall in love-but where was Rachel? She was there...trust me.**

**I plan on this story to be next to 3-4 chapters. So I will be updating it. This is in Rachel's POV, just to make it clear. Enjoy! **

"Annabeth, do you really want me to do this?" I asked, trusting Annabeth to make the right choice. Annabeth adjusted a pin on her over-flowing wedding dress as she looked up at me.

"Rachel, I wouldn't want anyone else to do it other than you." She said, a deep amount of trust in her gray eyes.

"But you have your half sisters, and Thalia! I mean, wouldn't they be a better choice?" I asked her again, making sure she was positive.

Annabeth stared at me with a "_are you crazy?" _look. "Rachel, stop being silly. I want you to be my bridesmaid, and there's nothing holding you from it."

Sometimes, I thought there was.

* * *

The wedding was beautiful. Annabeth was beautiful. Had I made it beautiful enough? It was being held in a large open space in the tropics. Percy, who of course was son of Poseidon, insisted that the wedding be held somewhere tropical. So, with a little help from the gods, we planned the wedding on a beach.

The area was beautiful and warm. Palm trees with coconuts stood up straight and porud, just as you see them in the vacation commercials. The sea was spraying white mist over the shore as it bounced over rocks. Every now and again, you would see the tail of a dolphin in the distance as it hopped over the water.

I had been a main part in decorating. I had gotten the inspiration from a small pink pearl I had found on the shore. It was smooth and shiny, and was the soft pink of a salmon with little hints of blue and white flecks. I had based the wedding off of it. The flower girls would throw white flower petals over the blue satin aisle as the two beloved came after them with a big bouqet of soft pink flowers. The arch at the end was like the sort of thing only found in old "Little Mermaid" videos. It was blue and gold with white flowers hanging from the top. Lovely.

The chairs were white, but each one was draped with a pink rose and a small piece of chocolate wrapped in blue paper. It was so beautiful, I was almost surprised at myself. And with the sun setting at just the right angle, this would be a wedding to remember.

My dress, which Annabeth had chosen for me, was blue and silky accompanied with blue satin gloves, and a small bouquet of blue flowers.

* * *

Soon, that big moment came. I was walking down the aisle in my blue dress. I looked into the crowd of people, who were crying. I kept my head up, trying to be one of them. This would be a perfect day for Percy and Annebeth. Percy looked absolutely handsome from where I was standing. His thick black hair was swooped across his face. His sea green eyes shined brighter than the sun. In those eyes, there was still a hint of childhood memories from when he and Annabeth first met. His black suit sported a small blue flower in the top pocket. He smiled, not at me, but at Annabeth. I can't help but think, _"Did I do it right_?"

This was a huge day. If Annabeth or Percy ever had kids, they would be the first quarter-bloods ever known. That was pretty important. But right now, I could tell Percy didn't care at all about that. Right now, he just cared about Annabeth.

As I walk to the side, I can't help but shed a tear. Annabeth looks just as beautiful. Her gray eyes shined as bright as Percy's. Her blond hair was glittered in sparkles, and the bouquet in her arms seemed to jump up towards her perfect make-up. Things couldn't have gone better. For them,

* * *

As the priest said his final words, the whole crowd blew up in tears.

"I do." were the only words heard from Annabeth, who's face was red with tears of happiness as the newlyweds had their kiss. From there, the whole beach celebrated. I rushed up to give Annabeth a hug.

"Did I do good?" I sqeak between tears. I feel Annabeth hug me tighter.

"Of course. You did it perfectly."

But did I? Or was she just saying that?

* * *

I'm standing in between Poseiden and Athena, wishing both their son and daughter good luck. There is a big crowd of people behind me, waving goodbye as the newlyweds ride off to there honeymoon. The sun is just lowering, creating the night sky. Tiki torches line the beach, and people are sitting under the stars, enjoying the full moon. I have heard of stories about Apollo and Artemis not being here, but on the sun and moon. I had heard that they had perfected the setting and rising to go with the wedding. Well, if they were, they were doing a heck of a good job at it.

With Percy and Annabeth off in the mountains, I was left here with the others. Not that I minded...well, I can't say I did.

The important thing was that they were happy, right?

**A/N- This is my first story written in Rachel's POV- tell me if you think I got anything wrong. I'm working on different phases in Percy and Annabeth's life and how exactly Rachel fits into it. Reviews help a lot!! **

**-Rainy **


	2. Names

**A/N- This chapter takes place a few months later. Just to let you know, every little "line" break signifies a time interval for as long as a few more months. You'll be able to follow along after a bit, though. **

I stare straight into Annabeth's gray eyes.

"Annabeth, your...your....your..." I stutter among my words. She nods.

"Yes, I'm pregnant." She says plainy, patting the small bump on her stomach. "And I need your ideas for names."

I shuffle around in my seat. We are sitting at a small diner with plates of food in front of us. "Annabeth," I say. "I mean, that's a huge decision-naming a kid. Do you even know if it will be a boy or girl?" Annabeth pats her stomach, showing little disappointment, although she doesn't answer me because frankly, I am still asking the questions. "I mean, come on, Annabeth!" I plead. "I'm not the Harvard graduate here!"

She chuckles bit and turns to me. "Rachel, you don't need a degree from an Ivy League college to name a baby."

I look away. "Yeah, I know." We sit quietly for a bit, not knowing what to say. Both me and Annabeth are lost in thought. I'm thinking about names for the arrival, but I can't seem to point to the perfect one. Finally, Annabeth is the one to break the silence.

"Oh! I've got it! Allele! Well, if it's a girl of course."

I sit there confused. "Why Allele?" I say. Annabeth sits up more at the table.

"Well, allele is one of several variants that can occupy a locus on a chromosome." She says promptly, then translates; "It's an ocean term."

"Oh." I say stupidly. "What if it's a boy?" I ask. Annabeth thinks for a minute before answering.

"Evenness! Yes, Evenness. That's when- oh, it's just another ocean term." I am relieved for her sparing me a long definition, I smile at the name.

"Well, that certainly is a unique pair of choices, Mrs. Jackson." I say with a hint of humor in my voice. "Very Unique."

* * *

RING RING!

"Hello? Annabeth?" I say into the phone quietly, so my boss won't here. We were never supposed to answer personal calls during office hours, but Annabeth was figuring out the gender of the baby today, and she said I would be the first person she called. After a few happy laughs from the other end, I finally get a reply.

"Rachel! You'll never believe it! It's a girl! A beautiful baby girl!" I can hear tears of joy exploding from Annabeth. I can't help but smile as I whisper back.

"That's...that's fabulous! Are you still going to name it-uh-_her_ the name you chose that day at the diner?" I ask curiously.

"I've got to talk it over with Percy. You see, I haven't exactly told him yet, but...but..." Her sentence is cut off by more tears. "I'm just _so_ happy!"

Before I can answer back, I hear a deep voice from another room.

"Ms. Dare, might I ask what you are doing?" It's my boss. I look to him.

"Nothing, I'll get back to work." I say to him. Once he leaves, I whisper into the phone, "Annabeth, I truly am happy for you, but I really have to go. Talk to me later, okay?"

"Okay."

Yes. Annabeth was happy. Percy was happy. Soon, they would be a big happy family, and I knew that. But...why could I help not to feel the least bit jealous? I knew it was horrible of me, but for a second, I wanted to be the one on the other end of the phone. I wanted to be the one with the perfect husband, perfect budding family.

But I couldn't, could I?

* * *

I walk through a baby store, passing all of the adorable sized outfits, and rattles. I'm struggling; what should I get the first ever quarter-blood? A blanket?

Then I'm thinking about the dollar amount. This was a very important child and I didn't want to show up at a baby shower with some cheap gift while the gods all brought majestic presents. Since when did gift-buying become so hard?

Soon, I am stocking my cart with dozens of cute outfits and blankets, all of them blue and have some reference to the ocean. For example, I had picked up a rattle in the shape of a fish. As I check out, my cellphone rings.

"Hello?" I say into it. I am replied to by a deep, obviously stressed out, voice.

"Rachel!" It's Percy. His voice sounds urgent. "Rachel, you've got to get down to the hospital NOW!" He practically yells into the phone. My hands shake.

"What?" I say, my voice quavers.

"Annabeth...the baby... The baby is coming early!"

**A/N- Please review! And tell me what you think of the name choices. **


	3. Negativities

**A/N- Sorry for the hold up on the update! I really have no good excuse for it... The baby's full name is released in this chapter, please tell me how you like it. Also, this chapter skips around a little, but not much. Review please! **

_3 Hours Later..._

Percy leans against the hospital bed, looking mindlessly into the eyes of the little soul being held be Annabeth, who also was looking at the baby. I stand near the wall of the hospital door, giving the family a bit of privacy.

"She's beautiful." I say in the midst of silence. Percy looks to me, his sea-green eyes swimming with happiness.

"Thank you." He says. He is very built since the last time I saw him. His dark black hair swoops across his forehead in a simple manor, and his skin always seems to have a perfect tan. He's beautiful, just like Annabeth.

"Percy," Annabeth says quietly from the bed, not taking her eyes from the newborn. "I know what I want to name her." Percy brushes her hair lightly with his fingers.

"Whatever you want, love." He is saying this with deep compassion and trust towards his wife.

_Does he trust her the way he trusts me?_

"Allele Marya Jackson." Annabeth says in one breath. A beautiful, unique name. Percy just smiles at her.

"That's a beautiful name, I agree."

* * *

"Rachel, I want you to be the godmother." Annabeth says to me, later that day. She is still in the hospital bed clutching Allele.

"What? Annabeth, are you sure?" I say, completely taken aback by what she proposed to me.

"Yes Rachel! You'd be perfect. Percy hasn't exactly picked the godfather yet, but you're a special person to me, and I want you to be a special person to Allele. Believe me when I say this, Rachel there wouldn't be any anyone I would want to be it then you." Annabeth bounces the baby a bit before I answer.

"Annabeth..." I can't think of a good enough excuse. I mean, it's not that I didn't want to be the godmother, it's just that... well, I don't know. Annabeth looks at me straight in the eyes.

"Rachel, please? For me?" She says. I looks away, then back at her.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it for you."

* * *

_5 years Later..._

I knock on the door of the beautiful brick house that belongs to Percy and Annabeth Jackson. The house is lined with brownish red colored bricks and with golden lined windows. The door is ivory colored with a wooden hand-crafted sign on it that read _welcome_in neat scripted writing. As I wait for someone to answer, the door swings open. It is Annabeth.

"Rachel! Oh my gods, I'm so glad you could come! Allele has been dying to see you!" She says in her cheery "Mommy Annabeth" voice. Her blonde hair is swooped up into a messy ponytail. I smile.

"Well, it's that time of year again." I say with exasperation. It was drawing to the end of summer, but it was still warm. Annabeth nods and motions for me to step into the spacious house that was decorated with flowers and other little homey trinkets. Annabeth leads me around to the living room, which was occupied by Allele, who is comfortably watching T.V. on the over-stuffed couch.

When I come in, her attention quickly averts from the television to me.

"Aunty Rachel!" She squeals in her high-pitched voice. She runs up to me and hugs me tightly. I do the same. Allele has grown up to be a beautiful child. She has long blond hair, like her mother, and her father's sea green eyes. She wears a yellow summer dress today, which really brings out the color in her eyes. She is so beautiful, yet so young.

"Hey, Allele!" I say cheerily. "What've you been up to?" She releases me from her hug.

"I've been watching The Discovery Channel! Did you know that 90 percent of volcanic activity occurs in oceans?" She says without a stutter. I nod, very amused.

"Wow..." I say.

"Yeah, I wanna be a marine biologist when I grow up!" She throws her hands up in the air in a childish manor. I smile.

"Yes, I bet you will be." Annabeth bends down to Allele's height to tell her something.

"Allele, Mommy needs to talk to Aunty Rachel for a bit. Would you like to look at the National Geographic catologue I got in the mail today?" Allele's eyes widen.

"Okay!" She bounces. "See you later Aunty Rachel! Maybe we could go swimming at the Y later!" Allele is running off before I say anything else. Once we are alone, Annabeth walks towards the couches.

"Shall we sit down?" She says. We both take a seat comfortably on the couch, and Annabeth flips off the T.V.

"Annabeth, she's growing up well. Very smart, too!" I compliment. Annabeth just sighs, and stares blankly at the lifeless T.V.

"Yes..." She starts off. "I...I need some help, Rachel."

"Well, with what?" I ask. Something has obviously been troubling Annabeth. Her gray eyes are flustered as she speaks.

"As you know, I want nothing but safety for Allele..." I nod for her to go on. "I mean, she is supposed to start Kindergarten this fall. It's already the middle of August, and I..."

I hesitate to say something. "...Wait, is this about the whole quarter-blood thing?" Annebeth nods.

"Yes, it is. You see, considering the circumstances, Allele has the same powerful attraction to monsters as a halfblood. I want her to be safe, but I love her too much." Annabeth looks away before talking again. "And yet I can't risk losing her."

I shift around on the couch. "What are you saying Annabeth?" I ask, almost catching on to what she is saying. Annabeth pushes a strand of blond hair away from her face.

"I want to send Allele to Camp Halfblood."


	4. Not Again

**A/N- Hey peoples, sorry for the wait. I've been booked the last couple weeks, so my updates have kind of been coming slow. But I'm still updating, no doubt. :) **

**Read and review away! **

**-Rainy**

* * *

Allele pops her head up from the pool water. "Aunty Rachel, did you see that?" She yells from the water. I look up from my fold-out pool chair.

"I sure did, Allele! Keep going, your doing great!" Believe me, I wasn't just saying this. She was honestly a really good swimmer. "Are you on a swim team?" I ask. She swims gracefully to the edge of the pool and pulls her goggles off, her wet blond hair flying out in all directions. Her eyes are red from the marks that the goggles make, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Well, a swim team said they were interested in me joining." She says.

"Oh really?" I respond. "That's cool. So did you join?" Allele's face turns to disappointment as she dips her head under the water, then back up, her smile coming back.

"Mommy said that I couldn't join. She said I might be too busy this summer."

"Oh." I say. After a few moments of silence, Allele breaks it.

"Um, Aunty Rachel? Why couldn't Mommy come to the pool with us?" She asks. I smile down at her wet face.

"Mommy had things to do." I say, knowing that isn't the real reason why she couldn't be here. Annabeth had wanted me to talk to Allele about camp, even though I knew next to nothing about it. All Annabeth told me to do is ask her daughter what her opinions are on being away for a while.

"Annabeth, do really want me to tell her first?" I had argued earlier. Annabeth just gave a look of uncertain defeat.

"Rachel, I'm trying to do what I think is right." She had told me, like she had said years before. I knew she had great trust in me, although I wasn't exactly sure why.

"Allele, why don't we dry you off? We could go get some ice cream if you want." I tell the young swimmer, who is already lifting her self out of the pool.

"Ice cream is high in fat. Can we get a smoothie?" She asks. What can I say? The girl had a point.

"Okay, Allele. We can get a smoothie.

* * *

A few minutes later, me and Allele sat at the smoothie bar, Allele's hair still stringy from the water. I got comfortable in my chair and drank my berry-mango smoothie with her.

"So Allele, there's something I want to talk to you about." I say. Allele looks up, curiously.

"What is it, Aunty Rachel?"

"Well," I start, unsure of what to say. "I was talking to Mommy today."

Allele takes a carefree sip of her smoothie, which is a frothy pink color. "Mommy? What did she say?" Allele asks. I fold my hands over my smoothie cup before answering.

"Mommy wants to take you to a camp this fall, you know- to see how you like it." I say to her. I wasn't exactly sure if that came out right, because Allele gave me a nervous stare.

"But...I'm supposed to go to school in the fall." She says, uneasily.

"Yeah, that's the thing. Mommy thinks this camp will be a good thing for you." I say, reasuring her. Or at least trying to.

"Are my friends going to camp?" She asks. I shake my head.

"No, I don't think so. You'll make new friends, though." Allele didn't seem too reassured. "Listen, you'll just be going to look around. I don't know for sure if you'll be going to the camp yet, okay?"

"Fine."

* * *

When we arrive back home, Allele falls asleep, and Annabeth carries her upstairs to her bed. After she settles Allele in, Annabeth comes back downstairs to talk to me.

"Rachel, thank you sd much. I can't really explain how much I have to thank you for." She starts off. I nod.

"Really, it's fine." I say. I drum my fingers against the marble counter top. "So when are you taking Allele to camp?" I say. Annabeth pulls her long wavy hair back into a ponytail.

"Gosh, I really don't have much of a plan, but I'll get her there soon. The sooner, the better." I nod in response.

"Yeah, good point." I say. Annabeth smiles a little, then it draws away.

"Also, there is something else I'd like to talk to you about... something that I haven't told anybody else yet." She says. I just stare at the counter for a second before responding.

"What is it?" I say plainly. Annabeth smiles weakly.

"Rachel, I'm pregnant again."


	5. Not Knowing

**A/N- I finally motivated myself to update! Yay! **

_Six Years Later…_

Things had changed a lot in the past few years. Ever since they started sending Allele to camp during the summer, I've gotten very limited time to visit her, yet I love watching her grow. Percy and Annabeth had a baby boy named Darien. (Apparently, the name has something to do with the ocean… according to Annabeth.)

One cloudy fall day in the middle of September, I was on my way once again to the familiar red brick house. I knock on the front door, knowing what to expect. I stand straight as I wait for it to open, and when it does I am faced by eleven year old Allele.

"Hey Aunt Rachel!" She says with a cheery smile on her face. She has let her hair grow out and has curled the ends of it. She wears kaki capris and a light green tank top.

"Hey, Allele, can I come in?" I ask. She suppresses a childish giggle.

"Of course you can. My mom is in the kitchen. She's cooking spaghetti for dinner with homemade sauce and everything! I helped her make it." She says, seeming very full of excitement. I smile and step into the house. Even with two young children, the house was clean and tidy. As I took off my shoes, Annabeth came to the front of the house to greet me.

"Rachel! So glad you could come!"She says, her blond hair is pushed back in a headband. I smile.

"Oh, you know I'm always happy to see the kids." I say. As I look around, I notice something is missing. "Where's Darien?" Allele answers.

"He's upstairs playing with his new guitar. Daddy got it for him once he had earned the money." She smiles confidently. Annabeth sighs.

"Yes, he is quite the little rockstar." She turned her head towards the stairs and shouts "Darien! Aunt Rachel's here!" In a few moments, a little boy with black hair and gray eyes is running down the stairs, sporting an ACDC sweatshirt.

"Hi!" he waves. I wave back.

"Hey Darien, I hear you have a new guitar." I say. He nods up and down rapidly.

"Yep! I just got it! It's super cool. It's like red and white with black lining! You wanna come see it?" He asks. I smile at him.

"In a little bit, Darien." I say. He shrugs and runs back upstairs. Once he left, Annabeth leads me into the kitchen where it smells of tomato sauce and garlic bread. Allele followed us, begging her mom if she could taste the sauce, and Annabeth telling her to wait till dinner. I look into the post of steaming red sauce, its delicious smell filling my nostrils.

"Looks delicious, Annabeth." I compliment. Allele jumps up from the kitchen table.

"Yeah, I wonder if it tastes delicious! Oh, I know how we can find that out! Maybe if I-"

"Allele, I said no!" Annabeth scolds. Allele sits back down and sighs. Annabeth looks to me.

"So Rachel, how have you been? I haven't seen you for half the summer." She asks. I lean on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Things have been okay. I _finally_got out of the office." I answer. Just as I would have known, Annabeth asks questions.

"Oh really?" What are you doing now?" She asks.

"Well, I'm selling my artwork online, and I'm applying for a job as a set designer for plays and stuff at the community college." I say. Annabeth smiles.

"That's great, Rachel. I hope that works out for you." She says genuinely. Allele sighs and leaves the table. She goes to the drawer and brings out a white object, about the size of a picture frame. I immediately recognize it. It's a kindle. She walks back to her seat and starts fiddling around with the buttons until she is contently reading something. Annabeth turns back to me. "So how is the online dating thing working?" She asks. I blush.

"It's going okay. I mean, I've met this one guy named Keith. He's nice and all, but I mean…" My sentence trails. Annabeth frowns.

"Sorry, Rachel, about the dating thing. Usually finding that special person takes awhile.

_It didn't take you too long. _

* * *

_Five Years Later… _

Typical end of the day at the set shop, I was covered, head to toe in paint. I was at the shop alone today, but all I really had to do was finish up the trees for the middle school play. Once those were done, I was free to go.

I walk out of the school to my car and get in, just like normal. I slip the key into the ignition, put the car in reverse, and pull out of the parking lot, just like normal. As I head out of the lot, my cell phone rings. I reach down and put a headset in my ear. "Hello?" I answer.

"Rachel!" It is Percy's voice, and it is very urgent. That is definitely not normal. Almost right away I sense something is wrong.

"P-Percy, what is it? Is something wrong?" I ask. Percy hasn't even said anything yet and I am already jumping to conclusions.

"Yes, something is very wrong." He pauses and takes a deep breath. "Listen, can you come down to the house and watch Darien for us?"

_Us_ .

"Um, sure, but what's so urgent?" I ask, already re-routing myself. Percy takes a few seconds before he answers.

"Listen, I'm honestly not sure yet. It… it's about Allele." He says, his voice heavy. My heart is racing right now, and I don't know what to think.

"Oh, okay." Is all I can say.

* * *

In a few minutes, I find myself with Darien, alone. A lot has changed since he was little. I guess he's sort of rebelled against his parents' wishes. Knowing Percy, he would want his son to be heroic and brave. He was pale and skinny as a stick. Annabeth wanted him to be smart no, _intellectually advanced_. As far as I knew, he had three failing grades. He let his hair grow out so it covered his face and had a wardrobe filled with t-shirts of different rock bands. Guitar had been his passion since he was six and man was he good.

"Darien, are you hungry or thirsty at all?" I ask him as I pour myself some water in the kitchen. Questions are running through my head and both Percy and Annabeth are gone. Darien was sitting on the couch listening to Percy's Ipod.

"Huh?" He looks up at me, taking out one of the ear plugs. I sigh.

"Darien, why don't you come here for a minute and talk to me. Leave the music there." I say, sitting at the table. Darien groans as he makes his way over and sits down.

"What?" He mumbles. I look up at him. "You look funny." He says. "When was the last time you washed those clothes?" I sigh.

"Darien, what is going on with your sister?" I ask. Darien leans back in the chair and fiddles his fingers. He doesn't look me in the eye.

"I don't know. Dad said there was an attack at her school but it had nothing to do with her being a halfblood." He mumbled.

"Oh…" My voice trails. Darien continues.

"Dad said he'd call when he finds out what happened." He says. When he was done, ironically, the phone rings. I let it ring once and let Darien dive for it. He takes a look at the caller ID and hands it to me.

"_Dad." _He mouths as I answer the phone.

"Percy?" I say into the receiver. What I hear shocks me. It's the voice of Annabeth, and it is wracked with sobs.

"R-Rachel!" Her voice is just as urgent as Percy's had been.

"What? Annabeth, what happened?" I say, my voice getting louder by each word.

"There has been a-a sh-shooting at… at Allele's school… Allele…." Her voice stuttered and was soon overcome with sobbing. There was a short pause over the phone until she came on.

"Listen, j-just get over here _now_. Bring Darien with you." She says and hangs up the phone.


	6. No Clue

**A/N- I KNOW what happens to Rachel in the Last Olympian which is probably what held me back from updating this. So for now, can we just forget the fact that she's the oracle? Please and thank you! I know this chapter is short, but it's effective. **

**I must admit though, I'm kind of in a rut here… Don't really know where to take this story after this chapter. Suggestions are very much appreciated! **

**-Rainy**

It had been a year since Allele was shot. One bullet to the head… It had taken place at her own high school while she was taking an extra credit swimming course. A student, supposedly under the influence, broke into the pool section of the gymnasium and shot everyone who was in the water. Three students, dead, gone, and one of them were Allele. Allele Marya Jackson, the one who was almost guaranteed early admit to a special university where she would study marine biology, the one whose goal was to become valedictorian of her class… Annabeth had been torn apart since that day. There were days when she would call me up on the phone sobbing for no reason. On these days I would drive over to her house, make her some tea or something, and we'd watch Allele's favorite movie- Free Willy. I had seen Free Willy a little over twenty times that year.

Percy was equally as devastated, but they needed an income, so he continued working. When Allele died, Percy had changed. His sea green eyes weren't as bright as they used to be. He didn't smile like the way he used to smile. His expression was more solemn and serious now, as if he looked at the world in a different light. As if there was no one in this world that would make him think there was hope. Does that even make sense?

Darien had become a lost case, and to be honest with you, he always had been. He spent most of his time alone, or away from his family. As secluded as he was, he was still sticking to his guitar. I hadn't heard him play too much, but when I did, it was quite sensational.

As for me, nothing changed. I was still working diligently at the set shop, which gave me opportunities to view plays and musicals that went on there, but from the wings. I was never fully apart of the viewing experience, but if something fell off a set piece; I was always ready to help fix it. I couldn't help but relate these situations to my actual life.

One spring day, I got a call from Annabeth.

"Hey Rachel! Can you watch Darien for a while? I've got a few job interviews downtown today, and Dare needs someone to drive him to his basketball thing." Like I did every time, I agreed to help her out. The fact she was getting job interviews was a good thing. When Allele died, she quit her job as an architect to stay home.

I had never heard Annabeth refer to Darien as "_Dare_" before.

Once I got to the beautiful house, I stepped right in, not bothering to knock. I knew Annabeth had already gone, and that Darien was probably up in his room.

"Darien! You up there?" I called. "Darien?" I repeated, not getting an answer. I walked upstairs to his room. His door, plastered with a handmade memorabilia of Michael Jackson, was shut. I knocked a few times until the door opened.

I was faced with a sad-faced boy, who was obviously a bit enraged.

"_Mom_, I told you to… Oh… Rachel?" Darien's mood seemed to go from mad to almost relieved. I pushed a strand of curly red hair from my face. This poor boy obviously needed help.

"Darien…" I said. "Can I talk to you?"

"I feel like… Like I'm invisible sometimes." Darien opened up to me. I was shocked that, for once, he was talking to me like a real person. "You know what last week was?"

I shook my head. "No, what?"

"It was my birthday. My fourteenth birthday and my parents forgot. Yet they celebrated Allele's birthday when she's fucking dead." He suppressed, anger filled his expression on the words_ "Allele's Birthday" _

We were sitting at the kitchen table. Darien was in basketball shorts and a t-shirt, but it didn't fit his persona. The long haired boy looked as if he should be playing a gig somewhere, not playing basketball. "Darien, your parents, they have a lot going on right now. You can't blame them." He shook his head.

"If I had a dime for every time they told me that." He mumbled. "I bet they signed me up for basketball just to get me out of their hair for a while, until they can send me back to that stupid camp."

I could only nod at his assumption. What he said next took me by surprise.

"It's like… I dunno, it feels like we're so freakin' dysfunctional. My mom's been depressed, my dad refuses to even talk to me, and admit it, you want an affair with my dad." He stared at me, with the same enraged expression he had when he talked about Allele. I tensed, standing up.

"Darien, you have _no_ right to make a comment like that." My voice quavered as I tried to yell at the boy, but I couldn't bring myself to. He stood up as well.

"Oh, don't you _dare_ lie! I see the way you look at him, and the way you act around my mom! I've seen it ever since you've been coming over! It's just like those stupid LifeTime movies my mom watches, just watch."

"Darien…" I didn't yell at this boy, I couldn't. What he did next was just as spontaneous as he had been all day. He sat back down and rested his head on the table. Next thing I heard were soft sobs. "Oh…"

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around the broken body.

"I… I just want everything to make sense…" He sobbed.

It was here that I realized me and this kid had more in common than I thought. We were both lonely, we were both lost. Both of us were trying to make sense of this crazy life to our best ability We lived life, on the outside looking in.

_On the outside… Looking in. _

_I'm telling you to your face  
I'm standing here behind your back_

You don't know how it feels  
To be outside the crowd  
You don't know what it's like  
To be left out  
And you don't know how it feels  
To be your own best friend on the outside looking in


End file.
